Hey thanks for the offer. I have done some brief reading but what have you found beneficial?
First, I should say that I come from a Judeo-Christian background and have no formal training in theology or philosophy. But, over the last several years, I have done quite a bit of reading in Eastern approaches to understanding the human condition, and have found it pretty helpful.
I would say Vipassana concept has been useful. By grasping the concepts behind this style of thinking, you have the potential to reduce self-inflicted suffering. One of the things I have read is that some believe that Pain x Resistance = Suffering. We can't eliminate painful stimuli. It's part of life. But, by reducing resistance, or just by accepting certain things about the world and ourselves, we can reduce our suffering.
An example is the Second Arrow phenomenon. I don't remember the exact story, but has to do with a monk shot by an arrow. After being shot, he began to worry about the wound getting infected, bleeding and all sorts of consequences. Obviously, getting shot by an arrow hurts and can cause problems, but it was the worry itself that made the experience so painful. I think the lesson here is that equanimity, even towards your own human experience, can help you suffer less.
I have played with insight meditation as well as Transcendental Meditation (TM). They are different schools of thought with different potential benefits, but I believe there are overlapping benefits to the two techniques. I was formally trained in TM, and found it a nice technique, but got a bit turned off by the organization itself (I can expand if you want). Currently, I find myself using both techniques periodically. I can't say exactly what keeps drawing me to meditate, but I find myself wanting to do it on a regular basis. There are probably many reasons, but I think one of them is that it helps me stop rumination and what some refer to as default mode thinking. Don't get me wrong - I don't float above the floor when I meditate, and the moments of non-rumination (or present awareness) are extremely fleeting. But, somehow, I feel better having done it.
It has been a bit of a journey for me, and I believe it will continue to be. I enjoy reading others' thoughts on the contemplative traditions because I think reading a new perspective helps me get a deeper understanding of what is attractive about this way of thinking. One author describes Buddhist thought as being in the Matrix (blue pill, red pill). It forces you to learn that our current view of reality is heavily shaped and created by a whole bunch of mental constructs that may or may not have any real justifications. Realizing this can be liberating.
Anyway, that all may be way too philosophical for this forum! But if any of the above makes any modicum of sense to you, I can suggest a few things to read. I don't believe there is any one "bible" that fully elucidates all these concepts perfectly, but I think much of what I have read has hinted at various truths that have helped me deal with every day life.
A fun and pretty easy one to start with is called "Ten Percent Happier" by Dan Harris. I also really like a book called "Why Buddishm is True" Can't remember the author, but he is a professor at Princeton. I don't love the title (it feels too religious and can be off-putting, but the book is great). I have several others that were great. Feel free to DM me if you want more recommendations.
